This document provides an overview of Aung San Suu Kyi's political career and struggle for democracy in Burma. It discusses her education background, rise to prominence with a speech to half a million people in 1988 calling for democracy, receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 while under house arrest, her continued detention and release from house arrest in 2010, and her participation in the 2012 by-election as leader of the National League for Democracy.

1. Aung San Suu Kyi – The power of
Freedom
“It is not power that corrupts,
but fear. Fear of losing
power....and fear of the
scourge of power.”
“Fear is not the natural state of
civilized people.”
“Please, use your liberty to
promote ours.”
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2. Education and political
Beginnings
Boys remembering
the political
massacre on
August 8th 1988
Suu Kyi speaking in front
of half million people in
the Burmese capital, on
August 26th 1988.
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3. Nobel Peace Prize and Detention
“Suu Kyi's struggle is
one of the most
extraordinary
examples of civil
courage in Asia...a
symbol in the struggle
against oppression”
Norwegian Nobel
Commitee
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4. Release and 2012 by-Elections
Protests led by
Buddhist monks in
Burma and the
concert in London,
on August 19th
2007.
Suu Kyi at the gate
of her house in
Yangon.
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5. Political Prisoners currently under House arrest
(selected)
Name Country Date of Arrest
Bao Tong China May 1996
Thich Quang Do Vietnam October 2003
Albune Antonios Eritrea January 2006
Habel Ellouz Tunisia November 2006
Zeng Jingyan China December 2007
Le Thi Cong Nhan Vietnam March 2010
Nguyen Van Ly Vietnam April 2010
Iskhak Masaliev Kyrgyzstan May 2010
Chen Guangchen China September 2010
Uulgbek Abdusalamov Kyrgyzstan September 2010
Liu Xia China October 2010
Yu Jie China October 2010
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq India November 2010
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6. Capital Punishment in 2011 for
Political Crimes
number of death sentences
and executions
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
Sudan North Korea Yemen USA Iraq Saudi Arabia Iran China
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